Grade: B
Good: Great performances and old-school flair give Super 8 more heart and character than most modern summer movies. A couple of amazing sequences--particularly the early train crash--are thrilling and well staged.
Bad: Pacing suffers from significant drag in the middle. Focus on nostalgia and old-school storytelling leads to a slightly less entertaining experience than some recent similar films.
Ugly: The big secret. Trust me.
Nostalgia’s a funny thing. Invariably, it pulls us back to a time, a place, a moment that defines some aspect of our being. Occasionally, it can push us forward, using our memories to fuel our ambitions. J.J. Abrams’ and Steven Spielberg’s Super 8 is a pitch perfect example of the regressive and propulsive qualities of nostalgia, with all the shine and warts such an endeavor would entail.
Set in 1979 Lillian, Ohio, Super 8, named for the classic super 8mm camera, is a throwback to the first generation of summer blockbusters (apt considering the influence of that era’s most iconic voice). In the vein of classic Spielberg, the retro-styled flick follows a group of young aspiring filmmakers at the start of a summer they will—clichéd as it sounds—likely never forget. In the midst of filming an ambitious, if amateurish, zombie flick, the group of middle schoolers—led by director-in-training Charlie (Riley Griffiths), best friend Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), and lead actress Alice (Elle Fanning) —witnesses the most spectacular train crash ever committed to film. The cause of the crash is a mystery that will threaten their hometown, pushing Joe’s father, town deputy Jackson (Kyle Chandler), to his limit as he attempts to contain the mysterious chaos—including the antagonism of the U.S. Air Force in the form of shady Col. Nelec (Noah Emmerich)—that follows. Beneath the wreckage and chaos is a mysterious presence that will force friends and family members alike to re-evaluate their ability persevere in the face of tragedy, great and small.
Everything about Super 8, from plotting to setting to characterization, is gloriously old school. The main group of tweens working to uncover the mystery of the train crash is composed of charming, if rote, archetypes culled straight from 80’s classics like Stand by Me and The Goonies. De facto leader Charlie is every neurotic chubby sidekick rolled into a ball of anxious energy, while Joe and Alice play variations of the sensitive, damaged youth coping with life-changing tragedies and parent issues, respectively. Even the adult characters, such as the beleaguered deputy and the town drunk (Ron Eldard), hearken back to an era when character types were more common than pure characters. All of these great character types exist in an environment where they can encounter the unknown without the cynicism and irony of more contemporary characters, but rather the innocence and pluck of a bygone era.
Super 8’s late-70s setting is rendered perfectly as a mix of tight-knit, small town community and late 20th century Americana best remembered in films like Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster, JAWS. Despite a frustratingly mysterious marketing campaign, Super 8’s plot is fairly light, allowing for less of a focus on plot mechanics and more on pure character development. While the plot jumps through some hoops to drag out the central mystery, Super 8 is, at its heart, a coming of age story built around characters struggling to recover from unforeseen tragedy. A narrative made all the more effective by some uniformly wonderful performances from both the teen and adult casts.
Joel Courtney delivers a superb subtle performance in his breakout role as young Joe Lamb, the tortured anchor of the amateur film crew. Courtney gives Joe, reeling from the passing of his mother, an air of shell-shocked detachment, but that quality never overwhelms the performance. Joe still shows spark of youthful enthusiasm when working on the film, and even genuine nervousness in the presence of his crush, Alice. Elle Fanning mirrors the detached quality of Joel Courtney’s Joe as Alice, who is also affected by the tragedy that befell Joe’s mother. Fanning, much like her older sister, Dakota, displays amazing restraint that lends a sublime gravity to her performance as Alice. She portrays Alice as even more haunted, rightfully so, than Joe, with scant flashes of true happiness tinged with a longing for escape. The remaining teen cast are mostly two-dimensional, ranging from the cowardly actor Martin (Gabriel Basso) to the smart-alecky pyro Cary (Ryan Lee), with the standouts being Griffiths’ panicky director, Charlie, and Ryan Lee‘s quick-witted fireworks enthusiast, Cary.
With respect to the adult cast, Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler delivers, as always, an awesome performance as Joe’s father, Jackson. Chandler brings the same simmering intensity that defined his five years as Coach Taylor to his role as Jackson, who, like his son, is struggling to contain his grief over the loss of his wife. Chandler’s Jackson is nowhere near as “warm” as Coach Taylor, routinely marginalizing and snapping at his son. However, Chandler uses the distance and intensity to setup some affecting growth in Jackson that will move some of Super 8’s more jaded viewers, but won’t surprise FNL fans at all. With Super 8 largely focused on the kids, few of the other adult characters shine like Jackson, with the exception of Alice’s father Louis, played by Ron Eldard, who brings a melancholy pathos to this broken character.
Abrams wrangles these solid performances in a film that is unsurprisingly biographical—focusing on a group of young filmmakers who grew up during the 70's is a pretty clear tip off. Abrams familiarity with the material is especially evident in the scenes of the kids attempting to become master filmmakers with limited resources, which are comical and a bit inspiring to young filmmakers. However, they smack of an indulgence that may push some viewers away who may care more for the stories filmmakers tell than the stories about filmmakers.
The autobiographical slant is not Abrams only indulgence, as a few of his narrative and visual trademarks surface early and often. Yes, the lens flares are back, and they are far more out of place in this earthy story than they were in Star Trek. Also, anyone with a keen eye and a familiarity with Abrams filmic oeuvre will figure out the big secret by the Super 8’s midpoint. Despite his indulgences and stylistic flourishes, Abrams excels in capturing the simplicity and warmth of small town America, giving it a respect and majesty usually reserved for indies, and the power of human connection in quiet, albeit powerful, scenes between cast members of any age. He also staged one heck of a train crash, and ramps up suspense with some great Hitchcockian leave-it-to-their-imagination shots.
Super 8 is a solid piece of late 70s/early 80s filmmaking thrust into the 21st century. Being significantly retro in tone, style and content, Super 8 drags significantly in the middle. And, as par for the course with Abrams, the mystery drags on longer than it should to less than stellar results. While this approach might appeal to moviegoers who fondly recall the age of E.T., it will definitely challenge younger audiences, and that’s okay. Not every modern blockbuster has to be all bombast and spectacle, but that doesn’t mean pacing should suffer. I’d say Super 8 would make a phenomenal TV series, but then the pace would slow even more, so maybe it’s for the best that it landed as a feature.
The closest current comparison to Super 8 may be Joe Cornish's Attack the Block, which also deals with teens coming of age during an extraordinary event. Whereas Block balanced humor, heart and action, Super 8 places heart heads and tails above humor and action. Super 8 may not be as wholly entertaining as fare like Attack the Block, but it does have a heaping of warmth and will likely be a touchstone for future film auteurs. For families and fans of old school summer blockbusters, Super 8 is a decent way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it may be best to just give this one a few months and enjoy it in the comforts of home where its more deliberate pacing, nostalgia and character focus can be better appreciated.
Good: Great performances and old-school flair give Super 8 more heart and character than most modern summer movies. A couple of amazing sequences--particularly the early train crash--are thrilling and well staged.
Bad: Pacing suffers from significant drag in the middle. Focus on nostalgia and old-school storytelling leads to a slightly less entertaining experience than some recent similar films.
Ugly: The big secret. Trust me.
Nostalgia’s a funny thing. Invariably, it pulls us back to a time, a place, a moment that defines some aspect of our being. Occasionally, it can push us forward, using our memories to fuel our ambitions. J.J. Abrams’ and Steven Spielberg’s Super 8 is a pitch perfect example of the regressive and propulsive qualities of nostalgia, with all the shine and warts such an endeavor would entail.
Set in 1979 Lillian, Ohio, Super 8, named for the classic super 8mm camera, is a throwback to the first generation of summer blockbusters (apt considering the influence of that era’s most iconic voice). In the vein of classic Spielberg, the retro-styled flick follows a group of young aspiring filmmakers at the start of a summer they will—clichéd as it sounds—likely never forget. In the midst of filming an ambitious, if amateurish, zombie flick, the group of middle schoolers—led by director-in-training Charlie (Riley Griffiths), best friend Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), and lead actress Alice (Elle Fanning) —witnesses the most spectacular train crash ever committed to film. The cause of the crash is a mystery that will threaten their hometown, pushing Joe’s father, town deputy Jackson (Kyle Chandler), to his limit as he attempts to contain the mysterious chaos—including the antagonism of the U.S. Air Force in the form of shady Col. Nelec (Noah Emmerich)—that follows. Beneath the wreckage and chaos is a mysterious presence that will force friends and family members alike to re-evaluate their ability persevere in the face of tragedy, great and small.
Everything about Super 8, from plotting to setting to characterization, is gloriously old school. The main group of tweens working to uncover the mystery of the train crash is composed of charming, if rote, archetypes culled straight from 80’s classics like Stand by Me and The Goonies. De facto leader Charlie is every neurotic chubby sidekick rolled into a ball of anxious energy, while Joe and Alice play variations of the sensitive, damaged youth coping with life-changing tragedies and parent issues, respectively. Even the adult characters, such as the beleaguered deputy and the town drunk (Ron Eldard), hearken back to an era when character types were more common than pure characters. All of these great character types exist in an environment where they can encounter the unknown without the cynicism and irony of more contemporary characters, but rather the innocence and pluck of a bygone era.
Super 8’s late-70s setting is rendered perfectly as a mix of tight-knit, small town community and late 20th century Americana best remembered in films like Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster, JAWS. Despite a frustratingly mysterious marketing campaign, Super 8’s plot is fairly light, allowing for less of a focus on plot mechanics and more on pure character development. While the plot jumps through some hoops to drag out the central mystery, Super 8 is, at its heart, a coming of age story built around characters struggling to recover from unforeseen tragedy. A narrative made all the more effective by some uniformly wonderful performances from both the teen and adult casts.
Joel Courtney delivers a superb subtle performance in his breakout role as young Joe Lamb, the tortured anchor of the amateur film crew. Courtney gives Joe, reeling from the passing of his mother, an air of shell-shocked detachment, but that quality never overwhelms the performance. Joe still shows spark of youthful enthusiasm when working on the film, and even genuine nervousness in the presence of his crush, Alice. Elle Fanning mirrors the detached quality of Joel Courtney’s Joe as Alice, who is also affected by the tragedy that befell Joe’s mother. Fanning, much like her older sister, Dakota, displays amazing restraint that lends a sublime gravity to her performance as Alice. She portrays Alice as even more haunted, rightfully so, than Joe, with scant flashes of true happiness tinged with a longing for escape. The remaining teen cast are mostly two-dimensional, ranging from the cowardly actor Martin (Gabriel Basso) to the smart-alecky pyro Cary (Ryan Lee), with the standouts being Griffiths’ panicky director, Charlie, and Ryan Lee‘s quick-witted fireworks enthusiast, Cary.
With respect to the adult cast, Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler delivers, as always, an awesome performance as Joe’s father, Jackson. Chandler brings the same simmering intensity that defined his five years as Coach Taylor to his role as Jackson, who, like his son, is struggling to contain his grief over the loss of his wife. Chandler’s Jackson is nowhere near as “warm” as Coach Taylor, routinely marginalizing and snapping at his son. However, Chandler uses the distance and intensity to setup some affecting growth in Jackson that will move some of Super 8’s more jaded viewers, but won’t surprise FNL fans at all. With Super 8 largely focused on the kids, few of the other adult characters shine like Jackson, with the exception of Alice’s father Louis, played by Ron Eldard, who brings a melancholy pathos to this broken character.
Abrams wrangles these solid performances in a film that is unsurprisingly biographical—focusing on a group of young filmmakers who grew up during the 70's is a pretty clear tip off. Abrams familiarity with the material is especially evident in the scenes of the kids attempting to become master filmmakers with limited resources, which are comical and a bit inspiring to young filmmakers. However, they smack of an indulgence that may push some viewers away who may care more for the stories filmmakers tell than the stories about filmmakers.
The autobiographical slant is not Abrams only indulgence, as a few of his narrative and visual trademarks surface early and often. Yes, the lens flares are back, and they are far more out of place in this earthy story than they were in Star Trek. Also, anyone with a keen eye and a familiarity with Abrams filmic oeuvre will figure out the big secret by the Super 8’s midpoint. Despite his indulgences and stylistic flourishes, Abrams excels in capturing the simplicity and warmth of small town America, giving it a respect and majesty usually reserved for indies, and the power of human connection in quiet, albeit powerful, scenes between cast members of any age. He also staged one heck of a train crash, and ramps up suspense with some great Hitchcockian leave-it-to-their-imagination shots.
Super 8 is a solid piece of late 70s/early 80s filmmaking thrust into the 21st century. Being significantly retro in tone, style and content, Super 8 drags significantly in the middle. And, as par for the course with Abrams, the mystery drags on longer than it should to less than stellar results. While this approach might appeal to moviegoers who fondly recall the age of E.T., it will definitely challenge younger audiences, and that’s okay. Not every modern blockbuster has to be all bombast and spectacle, but that doesn’t mean pacing should suffer. I’d say Super 8 would make a phenomenal TV series, but then the pace would slow even more, so maybe it’s for the best that it landed as a feature.
The closest current comparison to Super 8 may be Joe Cornish's Attack the Block, which also deals with teens coming of age during an extraordinary event. Whereas Block balanced humor, heart and action, Super 8 places heart heads and tails above humor and action. Super 8 may not be as wholly entertaining as fare like Attack the Block, but it does have a heaping of warmth and will likely be a touchstone for future film auteurs. For families and fans of old school summer blockbusters, Super 8 is a decent way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it may be best to just give this one a few months and enjoy it in the comforts of home where its more deliberate pacing, nostalgia and character focus can be better appreciated.
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